Thailand builds another field hospital for virus-hit Bangkok

BANGKOK – Health authorities successful Thailand raced to acceptable up a ample tract infirmary successful a cargo gathering astatine 1 of Bangkok's airports connected Thursday arsenic the state reported grounds numbers of coronavirus cases and deaths.

Other tract hospitals are already successful usage successful the superior aft it ran retired of infirmary facilities for thousands of infected residents.

Workers rushed to decorativeness the 1,800-bed infirmary astatine Don Mueang International Airport, wherever beds made from cardboard container materials were laid retired with mattresses and pillows. It is to beryllium acceptable for patients successful 2 weeks.

The airport, a home and determination hub, has had small usage due to the fact that astir each home flights were canceled 2 weeks ago.

The speedy dispersed of the delta variant besides led neighboring Cambodia to seal its borderline with Thailand connected Thursday and bid a lockdown and question restrictions successful 8 provinces.

Thailand reported 17,669 caller cases and 165 deaths connected Thursday, its highest fig since the pandemic began successful aboriginal 2020. Of those, 7,875 cases and 127 deaths were successful metropolitan Bangkok, a portion of astir 15 cardinal people.

Ad

Bangkok and its surrounding provinces person been successful lockdown for much than 2 weeks, with overnight curfews and entree lone to supermarkets, pharmacies and indispensable services specified arsenic hospitals.

Authorities said astir 6,100 patients successful the Bangkok country are waiting for beds. Of those, 103 are successful captious condition, 1,410 person mean symptoms and 4,662 person mild symptoms. Nearly a 4th of a cardinal radical astir the state are successful aesculapian facilities, immoderate with symptoms and immoderate without.

Thailand has recorded a full of 561,030 cases and 4,562 deaths. More than 90% person been reported during the surge that began successful aboriginal April.

At a marketplace adjacent the airport, a fewer radical were retired buying and galore said they were acrophobic astir the virus's spread.

“I watched the quality and I got truthful stressed and depressed astir truthful galore radical needing help. I don’t permission the location precise often anymore, lone erstwhile successful a portion erstwhile it becomes indispensable to bargain immoderate supplies,” said Chaninart Aimoat, a 32-year-old bureau worker.

Ad

Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha’s authorities is facing harsh disapproval implicit its handling of the microorganism surge and dilatory vaccination program, amid reports of radical dying successful the streets oregon successful their homes portion waiting for treatment.

Thailand hopes to supply 100 cardinal doses of vaccines and inoculate 70% of its colonisation wrong this year. So acold it has administered 16.6 cardinal doses nationwide. Around 18.5% of its 69 cardinal radical person received astatine slightest 1 dose portion 5.5% are afloat vaccinated.

On Wednesday, Swiss Humanitarian Aid dispatched 100 respirators and much than a cardinal antigen tests to Bangkok to assistance combat the outbreak, portion Britain is to nonstop 415,000 doses of AstraZeneca vaccine wrong 2 weeks.

Meanwhile, 1.5 cardinal doses of Pfizer vaccine donated by the U.S. authorities are to get Saturday morning.

“We volition beryllium sending nary little than 1.5 cardinal doses of COVID vaccine, successful information the extremity is 2.5 (million). But the archetypal shipment volition beryllium 1.5 (million),” said Thai-born U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth.

Ad

Neighboring Cambodia is to person its archetypal batch of 1 cardinal vaccines donated by the U.S. connected Friday, arsenic it takes steps to dilatory a surge astir the state thought to beryllium caused by Cambodian workers fleeing Thailand.

Prime Minister Hun Sen said the borderline volition beryllium unopen to everything but commercialized postulation until Aug. 12.

Cambodia's wellness ministry connected Thursday reported 765 caller cases and 11 deaths. It has confirmed a full of 75,152 cases and 1,339 deaths.

Unlike Thailand, much than 40% of its colonisation has had astatine slightest 1 vaccine dose. Cambodia plans to vaccinate astatine slightest 12 cardinal of its astir 17 cardinal people.

___

Associated Press journalists Patrick Quinn successful Bangkok and Sopheng Cheang from Phnom Penh, Cambodia, contributed to this report.

Copyright 2021 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This worldly whitethorn not beryllium published, broadcast, rewritten oregon redistributed without permission.